Can you still hear raging guns
ending dreams of precious ones.
In God' son, hope will come,
his red stain will take our pain.
Columbine, friend of mine.
Peace will come to you in time.
Columbine, friend of mine.
Turn a page, to your gain.
Keep your heart on the mark.
Comfort us with your love.
-- from "Columbine, Friend of Mine"
====== Greetings ======
Hello, and thank you for clicking 
This contest is dedicated in loving memory of Cassie Bernall, Steven Curnow, Corey DePooter, Kelly Fleming, Matthew Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Daniel Rohrbough, Dave Sanders, Rachel Scott, Isiah Shoels, John Tomlin, Lauren Townsend and Kyle Velasquez; as well as the countless other young people who have died senseless deaths at an institution of learning.
May their deaths not be in vain.
To get a better understanding of these victims, there is a biography of each at this website:
http://careers.thedailycamera.com/shooting/sanders.html
(this is for Dave Sanders; to visit others, click the links at the sides).
====== Disclaimer ======
I know that the shooting at Columbine isn't an isolated event, and many other school shootings have happened, and will, unfortunately happen. I am choosing to focus on Columbine because of its attachments to popular culture. This is certaintly not meant to minimize the sorrow and heartbreak that countless other family have felt or diminish the memories of the lost.
This contest is not sanctioned by any of the organizations affiliated with Columbine, including Rachel's Challenge, Rachel Joy Scott Ministries, Columbine Redemption, etc. This contest is affiliated solely with the host(s).
====== Contest Rationale ======
A few of you probably saw the title for this contest, and wondered why in God's green earth I am starting this contest so early, as the tragic events happened in April, and I know that it's standard operating procedure on AP to host a contest for events like a few weeks before the event happened. However, I am doing things different.
a ) This year is the 10th anniversery of the Columbine shootings, and I think this should be a year-long reflection for us, not a simple day-of. Every student in the world faces the risk of something like this happening, no matter how minimal that chance might be.
b ) I would love to see, honestly, hundreds of entries in this contest. I could imagine no more beautiful tribute than seeing a large list of poems. I plan on sharing a link to this contest with the family of one of the victims, who I know (on a however tenuous basis) through MySpace.
====== Contest Rules ======
--- in a contest like this, I would hate to d/q people, but I shall if these rules are not met ---
1) There will be no disrespect of any of the victims. I do not mean to glorify anybody, but this is not the place to criticize. This is to remember.
2) There will be no inappropriate language. Anything filtered out by the AP profanity filter will not be accepted.
3) Please include the prompt in your author's notes, ALONG WITH YOUR SCREEN NAME
4) There will be no religion bashing.
5) Prewrites will go under heavier scrutiny.
I reserve the right to add more rules and prompts.
====== Prompts ======
+++ Pictures +++
----> Rachel's Tears
----> Rachel's Torch
----> Senseless Violence
----> ax2 + bx + c
----> Why?
----> Fist of Revenge
----> Suicide
----> Can Hide No Longer
----> The Modern Thinker
----> Edgewood Brawl
----> Search for one of the many pictures from the tragedy (Google, Assoc. Press etc.) and use it. Be sure to link to it/include it.
+++ Songs +++
The Cohen Brothers (students @ Columbine) -- Friend of Mine
Flyleaf -- Cassie (acoustic)
Flyleaf -- Cassie (regular)
Phil Collins -- You'll Be in My Heart
Nickelback -- If Everyone Cared
Il Divo and Celine Dion -- I Believe in You
Il Divo and Toni Braxton -- The Time of our Lives
Rent Cast -- Seasons of Love
Fredericks, Goldman, Jones -- Né En 17 À Leidenstadt
Soulfire Revolution - The Revolution
Wir Sind Helden - Nur Ein Wort
Wir Sind Helden - Nur Ein Wort
Cher - A Song for the Lonely
Avril LaVigne - Keep Holding On
+++ Tags and Backgrounds +++
Self explanitory, I believe.
+++ Motivational Video +++
Watch the following video of Darrell Scott, father of victim of Rachel Scott, and be inspired.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtXdrJkwCsY
+++ Quotes +++
"Honestly, I want to live completely for God. It's hard and scary, but totally worth it." -- Cassie Bernall
"Many things can wait.
Children cannot.
Today their bones are being formed,
their blood is being made,
their senses are being developed.
To them we cannot say "Tomorrow"
They are Today"
--Gabriela Mistral
"All the vampires walkin'
through the valley
Move west
down Ventura boulevard.
And all the bad boys
are standing in the shadows.
All the good girls
are home with broken hearts."
--Tom Petty
"O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved, as to love."
-- St. Francis of Assisi
"It easy to die for Christ
It is hard to live for him.
Dying takes only an hour or two,
but to live for Christ
means to die daily."
--Sadhu Sundar Singh
+++ Others +++
----> Write a poem motivating a depressed student to keep holding on to life.
----> Write a poem from the perspective from a school shooting survivor.
----> Write a poem from the perspective of a parent or teacher that experianced a shooting.
----> Write a poem about the fear of school violence.
----> Write a personal tribute to any victim of any act of school violence.
----> Write anything pertaining to this topic. Use your imagination, but don't stray too far away from the basis.
Ultimately: It is not so important that your poem is on a certain prompt, but more that it pertains to the Columbine theme.
====== Prizes ======
Here are the award values I'd eventually like to have, but only if entries merit them! Donations, again, are most appreciated.
Gold: 10,000
Silver: 7,000
Bronze: 4,000
Green: 1,000 (x5)
For a total pot of:
26,000 points
Thank you for your support and love. Please, don't feel the need to rush on a poem, but take your time, and develop something special and meaningful.
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on May 24
- Rewards: Gold: 10000, Silver: 2000, Bronze: 1800, Honorable mention: 5 people
- Final notes: I sit here with respect, to all entrants, and to Zach for his endearing thoughts as towards running the contest. It has been a very thought provoking and emotional trip reading the entries and the memories from such an event.
Unfortunately, Zach has had internet problems of late, and as such, the contest has ran on a lot longer than we first realised.
With this now being the end of the 9th month. It has been closed and judged to the best choice I think he would have appreciated.
I congratulate all on his behalf and thank you all for making this a memorable one.
Regards
Silent Cougar
Contest Winners
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My heart still races at the sound of loud noises
in fear that they are a bullet leaving its chamber.by xxSerendipityxx 55 lines, 3 comments, on Apr 19 9:56 PM. In Contest, Pain, Sadness, Dedication, Teen issues, Goodbyes
Silver trophy winner
• Viewed by judge. [remove] -
your cold pale fingers drag across the page
they stop, slowly caressing the spine• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
• Viewed by judge. [remove]
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With one loud bang
Another light of love is gone• Viewed by judge. [remove] -
I wish that I could say I Love You one more time
I wish that I could hold you and tell you that you’re mineby keybladekitty 19 lines, 4 comments, on Dec 18 5:09 PM 2006. In Sad, Loss, Dedication
Honorable mention
• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove]
Gold trophy winner
Bronze trophy winner
Entries [35]
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• Commented on by judge.
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by Note The Sarcasm 28 lines, 6 comments, on Oct 5 10:26 PM 2008• Commented on by judge.
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who will stop the killing ?????• Viewed by judge.
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I don't want to go to school,
Mom, please don't make me.
• Viewed by judge. -
Return me to the days
When night and day made senseby Painted Nails 30 lines, 7 comments, on Nov 12 9:03 PM 2008• Viewed by judge. -
Vanilla scented whispers float
on gunsmoke air; whispers of• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
Waging a mindless war is not a thing of joy
and resorting to massacre or genocide is not a sport or pastimeby Purush 28 lines, on Nov 24 6:21 PM 2008• Viewed by judge. -
• Viewed by judge.
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Isn't anybody wondering
Why can't people seeby dreamcatcha06 56 lines, 1 comment, on Dec 1 6:38 AM 2008• Viewed by judge. -
We had a big family
A family of nineby dreamcatcha06 58 lines, on Dec 3 6:48 AM 2008• Viewed by judge. -
She sits in the corner.
Depressed as normal.• Viewed by judge. -
she claws at her skin
ripping it to shreds• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
Mr Fitzgerald had weapons
he stalked--by kedoconnor 22 lines, 3 comments, on Jan 10 10:25 PM. In sad• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
I lay in ruin; Pain claims my being;
Eternity mocks me, cruel and demeaning.by angela. 25 lines, 24 comments, on Jan 9 4:19 AM• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
There are flowers in the schoolyard
And sadness in the class• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
What would you do if you had the chance?• Commented on by judge.
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I had just watched Dawn Anna, a lifetime movie about the mother of Lauren Dawn Townsend, one of the students killed at Columbine and I just• Viewed by judge. Prewrite
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by Writing0Freedom 44 lines, 1 comment, on Mar 3 9:28 PM• Viewed by judge.
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Why did you come into my school and kill me,
And my friends?• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
I did this after watching Columbine video...
that was a powerful and awful event...• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
Unlock your sorrowful tears
let them flow like a raging river• Viewed by judge.
Add a comment
Comments
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All my best wishes, Zach... this is a great way to remember and honor the memories of those lost to senseless violence...
Ken
(and yes, I'll be here
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You are amazing.
Thank you so much.
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well, I can't say "my pleasure", but my sentiments are somewhere around there
thank you
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I wish you the very best with this contest - it is a lovely thing that you are doing and I hope that you get a lot of beautiful entries!
Just one thing: your 'b' under 'contest rationale' has turned into the
face ... and you might want to change that
Pol -
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thank you for your support. I too am hoping for many, many interesting... I hope to generate some interest in this contest
Thank you for pointing that out, Pol. I'll fix that straightaway.
Zach
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Wow...10 years already. Geez. What happened to this world? Columbine, Va Tech, etc.
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Lord, help us all...
it's sad ... but this is the world that we have to live with, and try to change
thank you for visiting. I hope to see a poem from you
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Never been good with "selfless" poetry. Wish I was sometimes. Im a "selfish" "poet" unfortunatly. Ill see what I can come up with though for ya.
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God if it aint someone doing 9/11 it's columbine V_V waste of contest space
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I'm sorry that you feel that way. God forbid that we remember the tragedies that shape our nation, and use them to grow as a society.
Thank you. -
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Anytime slick
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i have a pw
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PWs are welcome
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My daughter hung herself,
No one knows how you grieve,
And Columbine is something
you never would believe
I respect any parent
or friend of the child lost,
The heart is like a cold hard stone
of all the ones we've lost,
love and blessed be for not forgetting,
hugs,
georgie,
xxx
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aww, my heart goes out to you, Georgie.
Thank you for your sweet reminder of why we hold contests like this. To remember, and to change our world.
Blessed be, dear friend.
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I can't believe it will be 10 years. It is one of those moments that never fade in intensity despite the years.
I am book marking.
Thank you for running this contest. -
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You are absolutely right... this is a moment that will never fade ... we may not have been among those in Littleton, we may not have ever heard of that city before ... but now Columbine has become a part of all of us, I think.
Thank you, dear friend.
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10 years already?
You forgot Flyleaf - Cassie.
Anywho, I'll see what I can come up with before it closes.
- Aly -
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LMAO... I did forget Cassie
and it's one of my favorite songs, too.
Yes, it'll be ten years.
Amazing, I know.
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thought provoking
this sounds like a very evocative concert i would love to enter my daughter someone threatened to stab mmy daughter at school last week shes only tried to stop a younger girl getting a beating this issue willcontinue to affect us all until we say enough and do something concrete about it -
Great contest! It is so important to keep these people in our memories. Bookmarking and will try to pen something good. Patty
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thank you, dear poet
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how can ANYONE look at the faces of those kids and NOT feel as tho this is an important issue that needs to be dealt with?? they LOST THEIR LIVES!... im sorry for the passion, but these were innocents, they didnt deserve what happened. this is an aweseome contest and KUDOS goes to you,perdu!
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Thank you and you're absolutely right to be so passionate I'm only doing what I can to spread the word about it,, and to get people thinking.
Thank you for your comment
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this is a really good contest, to remind people who have forgotten because their too pre-occupied with money, boyfriends, the lastest music, the latest mobile phones, and the like, about that horrible day.I will most certainly be entering, once ive decided on an option and a pic to use.
great idea
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Thank you, dear friend. You're absolutely right... it's a little slice of reality for us, right when we need it most.
Please, take your time, and enter when you're ready
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this is a really good idea for a contest!
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thanks
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check out Rude Awakening by Thouasnd Foot Krutch. it was a song written by the lead singer, Trevor McNevan, but it was banned and wasn't put on an album, you can find it on youtube though, its about Columbine, so sad...
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I'll look it up presently
thanks for the info
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i was gonna enter earlier but i was in 2nd period and the bell rang while i was writing, ima try to get it up tmrw tho
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definitely entering this.
incredible topic.
i'll work on my piece tomorrow.
♣ Tegan -
I will definitely enter this soon hun I just watched Bowling for Columbine and have read a bunch of things about it.
I think you are gorgeous for doing this darlin Few would bother
Let me know if you want any more points added or have it featured
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I haven't seen that movie yet... but I think I should... it sounds really interesting. I just read "She Said Yes" written by Misty Bernall, the mother of Cassie Bernall, which was an extremely touching story.
ANd thank you. I'm sure that many would throw together a small contest, like many do for 9/11 or other holidays that require the proper tribute ... but I don't want this to be something small. I want it to be big.
And I'll let you know I'm thinking I'm going to buy a grip of points soon, though. Thank you for offering
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"This song was inspired by Cassie Bernall, the girl who was shot and killed in the Columbine Highschool shootings. She stood up for what she believed in and wasn't afraid to die for it. That really spoke to me, would you and I stand up for God if it meant death?"
-Trevor McNevan, lead singer of TFK, talking about his song Rude Awakening. It's a great song but it was banned from their album, i don't know why. This contest is great, thanks for holding it even if I don't enter -
o, woops, sorry, didn't know this was the contest i already entered, sorry for basically the double comment then
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LOL.. no problem at all
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What a sad and senseless tragedy. I read an article in Cosmopolitan about a Columbine survivor, and I can't even begin to imagine how horrible it must have been.
My poetry has been garbage recently, so I'm afraid I won't be entering... However, I am more than willing to donate points if you need them.
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I agree... it still manages to break my heart, just hearing about it.
Well, you have plenty of time to come up with something, so I hope your silver pen comes back. And points are always welcome -- since near the end, I'm going to buy points to make up the defecit between what I have and what I want
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This has touched many a heart over the years Time will lessen the pain and some will forget while for others it will be something that happened before they were born.....but the page in history is written and cannot be erased
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You're right -- this page of history has been set in stone.
But I would believe, if I could, that Tuesday, April 20th 1999
was the fateful day that brought Jesus back into the lives of millions,
by witnessing the faith of not only those who died,
but the faith of the parents who were able to forgive,
and to make such a heartwrenching loss a gift.
I count myself among the changed.
Thank you for visiting.
In His Love,
Zach
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well done! how do you pick a winner from all tis talent here... thanks you for remember
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I'm not sure how I'll be able to name a winner;
but I'm going to let the Spirit guide me, and
I'm confident that I will make the right choice.
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Dear Host/Hostess
A friend saw this and posted it for me. I wrote it a while back. A lot of people have died since then.
Imagine what would have happened at Virginia Tech if that fellow could only throw rocks at the administration building!?
But the worst was those little Amish girls. If it had only been an angry man with a clenched fist that burst into that classroom. It may not have even made the newspapers!
BTW, this is the only thing I've ever written that I didn't rhyme.
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I can't believe that's its been ten years. It still seem like yesterday because it's so fresh in my mind. I'm going to try and see what I can come up with. I'm not going to work on it now. It's Christmas Eve. It's not the time for crying. I'm going to bookmark this contest and come back to it after the New Year.
It's truly a blessing that you would create a contest to remember them. I don't usually say this, but...May God Bless You.
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I was wondering if I could do a collab with somebody else on my entry.
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absolutely feel free to collab
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"Etched in flesh", my entry, is after suicide. =]
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This says it closes in one day darlin, you need to fix that
I shall enter, there are about 3 or 4 prompts I'd love to use and will be back on once the date is extended
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Thank you for hosting this contest... I hope I can come up with something for this...
Right now I am also hosting a contest on school shootings... http://allpoetry.com/contest/show/2440003
Please check it out if you like.
Annie
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I'm currently working on a production of Columbinus, a play about the Columbine shootings. It examines the perspectives of many different types of students, including the shooters. Over the months, I have researched and become very close with all aspects of this tragedy. The play goes up in a couple weeks, but we had considered opening on the anniversary. I have an infinite amount of respect for what you are doing here and will enter if I can write something that I think truly represents my feelings on this matter and shows the proper respect to the victims. Good luck with the contest though, and I hope you have gotten many amazing entries.
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This is an amazing contest. Thank you for posting it. The Columbine shooting is something that I spent a lot of time reading about, and touches me more than anything I've ever felt. I've spent hours and hours reading about the injured, the deceased, the shooters, the reports...everything. It's 4:45 AM and I've been reading since 11 PM. I haven't cried this hard in a while. Thank you for posting this.
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What a pity I never entered this as I would have won (judging from the entries).
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wow
not nice
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